Montgomery Township crash causes fuel spill, closes road

Members of the Fire Department of Montgomery Township are seen pouring more absorbent material near a dirt trench close to utility holes following a vehicle crash in the township on Bethlehem Pike, Monday, Jan. 14.

MONTGOMERY TWP. — PennDOT, fire, and state environmental personnel are investigating an accident that caused a fuel spill on Route 309 near Upper State Road.

The crash took place shortly before noon when a tractor trailer driven by a Colorado couple was hit by a black Toyota Tacoma as it crossed Upper State.

“We were only going about 35 or 40 (miles per hour) and had the green, and he just T-boned us. I pulled over and we could see fuel spilling all over the place,” said driver Michael Wells.

“Ten years we’ve been driving all across the country and this is the first accident we’ve had,” said his fiancee Amber Grose, who was riding in the passenger seat with their terrier Dixie.

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The driver of the pickup was unhurt, but his pickup suffered heavy front-end damage from where it struck the trailer cab, knocking plastic panels off its passenger side and rupturing the fuel tank.

Wells estimated that the tanks hold roughly 150 gallons of diesel fuel and had about 100 inside the tanks at the time of the crash. He and Grose had just delivered an antique car to an owner farther south on 309 and were heading north to another delivery when they were hit.

“All of a sudden we felt something hit, and both just said ‘What the?’ We didn’t know what to do, and I couldn’t get down from my door because the steps were gone so we climbed out his (driver) side,” said Grose.

The Fire Department of Montgomery Township, township police and public works, and PennDOT personnel responded to the scene shortly thereafter, and FDMT units immediately began pouring absorbent material onto the roadway to try to divert the spilled fuel away from nearby stormwater drains.

“Some did apparently go into the stormwater drain prior to FDMT’s arrival on the scene, and DEP is investigating” how far that fuel was able to travel underground within the lines, according to police Lt. Gerry Dougherty.

The accident took place shortly before noon and one lane of 309 was closed heading northbound as crews worked to remove the accident vehicles and clean up the spilled fuel.

FDMT and PennDOT personnel continued their investigation farther south down 309 near the 202 Parkway to see if fuel ran that far underground in stormwater lines, and state Department of Environmental Protection personnel on scene arranged for a private contractor to clean the spilled fuel from that site.

The closed lane of 309 North was reopened after roughly two hours, as was one closed lane of southbound Upper State, but the turning lane of Upper State southbound remained closed for several hours as officials examined three stormwater inlets on that corner.

Wells and Grose both said the driver of the pickup truck appeared to be unhurt in the accident, but a language barrier prevented further communication. Their last antique car delivery of the day was due in Easton later that day, but would be delayed indefinitely due to damage to their truck, which belongs to Lamb Motorsports of Littleton, Colo.

“And this is actually our company’s newer truck. The older one we just sent to the shop to get some things fixed, and they said ‘Do this run with the new one instead,’” Grose said.